EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini believes that sanctions against Russia should be viewed in the context of the Ukraine situation.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini believes that sanctions against Russia should be viewed in the context of the Ukraine situation.

She said at European Parliament hearings on Wednesday the sanctions should be linked to the situation on the ground.

The top EU diplomat added that she was speaking about both the foreign and the domestic policy of the European Union.

It is important to find a way of communication with Russia, for instance, in order to search for a solution to the Ukraine crisis, Mogherini continued.

She said negotiations were impossible without speaking to one another and, besides, the Ukrainians and the Russians had been communicating between them and Europe should help the Ukrainians in doing so.

The situation is clear: sanctions have been imposed and they have had economic implications. This may not be equally obvious in the political field but political implications may manifest themselves now, Mogherini said in her final remarks at the hearings dedicated to Ukraine.

She said she was speaking not only on her own behalf and recalled earlier statements by European Union President Donald Tusk.

Mogherini indicated that European Parliament deputies involved in the hearings pointed to the importance of the dialogue and added that it could be a link missing on the EU's part.

The EU flexibility should have its limits in opening channels for the dialogue with Russia but it was still necessary to hold the dialogue no matter how difficult that might be, Mogherini said.